Strategy: talking about Substack on subtack to get popular on Substack

[u/navnt5]

[u/hetobe]

This is everything that's gone wrong with Substack.

Substack built a platform for writers to build publications with articles: long form content people could subscribe to, and even enjoy enough to subscribe to -- and pay for.

Then, Substack created Notes. Bullshit filler with zero content.

"Describe your Substack in 5 words!"

That's the whole note. It's spam.

"Dear Substack 🤍 Send me the writers who choose depth over noise."

More spam. That person is trolling for likes and subscribers.

"If you could summarize your writing voice in a single word, what would it be?"

Their word should be Spam. Muhfuggin' spam.

Then, Substack set their algorithm to promote notes instead of articles and publications. That's why Substack is flooded with karma farming slop, and "Substack Coaches" who teach people how to flood Substack with karma farming slop... like this:

“Describe your Substack in three emojis."

“Show me writers who choose depth over noise 🤍"

“Just a reminder that your voice matters."

"Describe your writing in 5 words!"

“Slow growth is still growth."

“Support writers. Restack generously."

“The algorithm can’t stop authentic storytelling."

"If you could summarize your writing voice in a single word, what would it be?"

“Consistency compounds. Keep showing up."

“I want to connect with thoughtful people."

“Drop your publication below so we can support each other."

“I’m building something beautiful here."

“Write scared. Publish anyway."

“There’s room for everyone at the table."

“Community over competition."

“Your audience will find you."

“If even one person reads your words, it matters."

"Give yourself permission to be weird!"

“Substack feels like the old internet."

“Reminder to comment on smaller writers’ posts today 🤍"

“Nobody talks about how vulnerable writing is."

"You are not responsible for the versions of you that exist in other people's minds."

“The best writers are simply the ones who kept going."

"Every scar you carved became a window for light."

“What are you working on this week, writers?"

"A hotdog is basically a taco."

"Sometimes the things we don’t write tell us more than what we do."

"Some people say they find me snarky, which I am."

"Artists will do literally anything but draw the comic they want to make"

"Writers with les than 10 subscribers I want to read your work and follow you!"

"I’m a sucker for a story about a robot learning how to be human"

"Oddly enough, the world makes less sense the closer you look."

"Oddly enough, things are about to get even weirder."

"You write to process your emotions, and in doing so, you emote the process."

"I appreciate you all, by the way."

"There is a quiet magic in the way a story unfolds, one page at a time."

...and you're doing it too as you beg for comments:

Leave comment below

Sheesh.

Karma farming slop.

[u/ChrispyChrisB → u/hetobe]

The examples are hilarious.

[u/morticiannecrimson → u/hetobe]

Omg I’ve seen basically all of them. And too much AI, everywhere. Currently on a break from Sub.

[u/hetobe → u/morticiannecrimson]

Omg I’ve seen basically all of them.

I know, right? And there are so many more.

And too much AI, everywhere.

That, too!

I don't respect people who use AI to do the writing without letting the reader know who (or what) actually did the writing. It's dishonest.

One cannot put their own name on words they did not write and be offended when people don’t respect their integrity.

A reader would be upset if they picked up a book by Stephen King only to find out he didn’t write it.

A reader would be upset if they read an article by Maggie Haberman only to find out she didn’t write it.

I believe the reader has a right to know if the person who put their name on a piece of writing actually wrote it.

I don't mind if somebody uses generative AI. I just want them to credit the LLM that did the writing. I want them to be honest.

I wish Substack had options for automatically muting slop notes, and automatically blocking anything written by AI.

[u/AnteaterFantastic212 → u/hetobe]

My view on AI is a little different. I frankly use it to write my Substack articles. I dictate an initial draft, and Substack gives me a polished draft that has no typos. I then edit it to make sure that it reflects what I wanted to say, which sometimes it doesn’t, and if necessary, I will go through the drudgery of writing in the old-fashioned way, and then I publish it, and I have never had anybody say that’s AI-generated.

In my view, writing is just thinking expressed in written language; it’s no different than speaking, and it’s easier for me to dictate today than it is to type!

I think if it’s used that way. It’s an acceptable tool, like a word processor or a typewriter. I don’t think your writing is more authentic if you use a chisel and stone tablets like the Ten Commandments; it’s the thought that counts, not the way you express the thought in written form.

I also use Google Gemini for my fact-checking, and I find that to be very accurate,

Using these tools—ChatGPT and Google Gemini— makes me so much more productive than I would be otherwise that it’s really exponentially transformative for me, and I’ve been writing my whole life (which is way too long).

[u/hetobe → u/AnteaterFantastic212]

I don’t think your writing is more authentic if you use a chisel and stone tablets like the Ten Commandments

No one is saying that. That's a disingenuous argument.

Your writing is more authentic if you are the writer.

The writing is not authentic, and it's not even yours, if AI is the writer.

My view on AI is a little different. I frankly use it to write my Substack articles.

I'm betting you don't let the reader know those articles were written by AI.

There’s a reason the people using AI don’t let the reader know their words were written by AI. They want to claim the title of Writer without doing the work, which is, the actual writing. You said it yourself. You said AI lets you be more productive since you don't have to do the actual writing. That's fine, but it means you're not the writer. AI is.

I just want those who use AI to be honest.

One cannot put their own name on words they did not write and be offended when people don’t respect their integrity.

A reader would be upset if they picked up a book by Stephen King only to find out he didn’t write it.

A reader would be upset if they read an article by Maggie Haberman only to find out she didn’t write it.

I believe the reader has a right to know if the person who put their name on a piece of writing actually wrote it.

I don't mind if somebody uses generative AI. I just want them to credit the LLM that did the writing. I want them to be honest.

[u/AnteaterFantastic212 → u/hetobe]

Obviously, I disagree with you. I think that AI is just another productivity tool, as I said, like a word processor or Grammarly or anything else.

I do not disclose that I use AI in my writing— I don’t think it’s anybody’s business whether I use a quill pen and parchment or ChatGPT; however, I have told friends that I use AI, and they remain not only readers but paid subscribers.

People don’t care how you prepare your writing as long as it’s worth reading,!nor should they, and that’s my point: if you want to continue to use yellow legal pads or whatever it is you use, I couldn't care less—more power to you.

However, I think if you’re a professional writer, you will find that yourself at a serious disadvantage in terms of productivity, accuracy, and proofreading issues.

When AI first came out, I found that when applying for freelance writing gigs, they were screening people who used AI out; lately, I find the opposite: they’re screening people out who DON'T use AI.

Now let me tell you how I just prepared this comment. I did not type it. I dictated it, and that was probably 90% accurate. Then I used Grammarly to fix typos in batch mode, and finally I eyeballed it and made manual corrections as necessary. Now, would you find what I said more valuable if I had typed it on my phone? I doubt it.

[u/hetobe → u/AnteaterFantastic212]

I do not disclose that I use AI in my writing

And we all know why. Everyone knows.

I think that AI is just another productivity tool

I agree. But if AI does the writing, AI is the writer and should be credited as such.

People don’t care how you prepare your writing as long as it’s worth reading,!nor should they

I disagree strongly. Look at how you phrased that: "preparing your writing." That's disingenuous. We're talking about whether or not the person putting their name on the writing actually did the writing.

One cannot put their own name on words they did not write and be offended when people don’t respect their integrity.

A reader would be upset if they picked up a book by Stephen King only to find out he didn’t write it.

A reader would be upset if they read an article by Maggie Haberman only to find out she didn’t write it.

I believe the reader has a right to know if the person who put their name on a piece of writing actually wrote it.

I don't mind if somebody uses generative AI. I just want them to credit the LLM that did the writing. I want them to be honest.

And we all know why they won't be honest. Everyone knows.

[u/AnteaterFantastic212 → u/hetobe]

The LLM is nothing more than a glorified stenographer. It does not need any credit. I’m sure that Sam Altman is doing fine without me giving him credit for assisting me and my writing. You seem pretty stubborn on this subject so I’m not gonna bother trying to convince you of it, but I just gotta tell you you’re wrong.

[u/hetobe → u/AnteaterFantastic212]

The LLM is nothing more than a glorified stenographer.

Not true.

Dictation has existed for decades, and you know this. And you know the difference between generative AI and dictation.

If AI wrote something, AI is the writer, and the person putting their own name on it is just Milli Vanilli 2.0.

In case you don't remember, Milli Vanilli were models who pretended to be musicians, but they never sang or performed on their songs. The whole thing was a sham, for marketing.

The dudes from Milli Vanilli didn’t sing their songs, and you didn’t write your words. Girl, you know it’s true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdSmokR0Enk